Tug hook



Feb. 12, 1929.

L. M. MOORE TUG HOOK Filed Jan. 21, 1928 INVENTOR [zzifier Z Home A TTZRNEY til Fetented Feb. 12, 1.9253.

UllllTED fi'lhr r l 1 13 Y 1,702,087 PATENT QFFICE,

LUTHER M. MOORE, 0F WALLA WALLA, WASHINGTON.

'IUG noon.

Application filed January 21, 1928. Serial No. 248,305.

This invention relates to tug hooks and has one of its obgect-s to provlde a hook that is adapted to form an ideal securing means, and which while primarily being intended as a tug hook and forming a part of the tug of harness, may, by changes in its body portion to it conditions, be adapted to other uses of a hook nature.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tug hook adapted to form part of the tug of harness and that will provide an ideal securing means.

A. further object of the invention is to provide a tug hook that will protectthe tug from being broken by preventing other parts becoming entangled in the hook.

A further object of the invention is to pro vide a tug hook that will automatically lock itselfon the connecting link or" the butt chain.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tug hook that may be constructed wholly devoid of springs it desired.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tug hook that is simple to construct, efficient for the purpose intended, having ample strength, and that may be available on the market at a reasonable price.

With these and other objects in view, reference is now had to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a fragment of my preferred form of hook;

2 is a plan view thereof; and r 3 is a side elevation of a modified. form of tug hook.

Having reference to the drawings, like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views and the numeral 1 refers to the tug hook in its entirety and consists of a relatively thin tin-like body 2 adapted to be secured in between the straps of a tug by rivets passed through the holes 3, in the usual manner of such construction.

This construction is not shown as it is deemed unnecessary in view of the well known state of the art, and has no bearing on the invention.

The body gradually thickens toward the hook end l, as shown in Fig. 2, to provide the necessary strength to the hook portion.

On the upper side of the body, and formed integral therewith, is a finger 5 extending in the direction of the hook end, and the finger is positioned and arranged to form with the body a slot or throat, which will be termed the receiving recess 6 as it is auxiliary to the main channel 7 of the hook, and the finger is completed with a crown 8 formed in its free end for a purpose tobe explained.

The. hook end, as its name implies, is shaped in hook form and in my preferred form consists of a compound hook 9 comprising an extension piece 1.0 formed integral with. the body 2, with its free end bent up ward and back to term a fixed open hook 11, with the point of the hook tapered, as at 12, to project i the direction of the body. to form a throat 13 that merges into the main channel 7 and that is positioned on the center line of the tug hook.

Hingedly attached to the extension, at the hinge point 14,-, is a keeper hook 15.

The keeper hook normally lays adjacent to the open hook 11, with its throat 1 6 coinciding with the throat 13 of the open hook, and is provided with a relatively light weight tongue 17, the end 18 of which normally seats in the crown 8, and its hook proper i9 is relatively heavy for the purpose of utilizing gravity to maintain the keeper hook in the normal (closed) position.

The tongue 17 of the keeper hook is of a shape that when the hook is open to receive a it will be noted that the link 20 is free to en ter the auxiliary throat, and when this condition exists that gravity will cause the tongue to automatically assume the position shown by the solid lines in this Fig. 1 which latter position of the keeper hook opens the throat 13 to permit the link to pass to the initial position shown as at 21.

It will be further noted. that with the link 21 in the throats 13 and 16, of both the open hook ll and the keeper hook 15, that the tongue 17 will be maintained in the closed position, with its end 18 seating in the crown 8, nor can. the hook be opened until the link has been partly withdrawn to the receiving recess as shearing action takes place that would necessitate cutting the link before the tug hook could be opened.

It is therefore obvious that the hook is hook isfclosed securely proportionately with the load. k 7 V In my modified form, shown in'Fig. 3, a single hook 22 is employed and this hook is likewise hingedto the body and has its throat 23 on the center line, and hence its security proportionate with the load as the load will maintain the end 18 in the crown 8. i

The tug hook is provided with an eye 2% formed in the edge of them'aterial otwhich v the tug hook isconiposed, and is constructed to provide a relatively small diametered part 25 to conveniently 7 receive a harness snap v (not shown), the purpose being to provide a ring in such a manner that it will not mate riallyweaken the tug hook.

In use, the tug hook is made a part of'tho harness tug and with the horses in place before the vehicle to be moved, the butt chains thereof are attached as above explained.

New, at times, one animal will pull ahead of its companion and being urged ahead, the companion will lunge forward jerking the first animalbacky Under these conditions flapping butt chains, side by side, will catch inany projections exposed, quite frequently causing a breakage to the harness, and hence by the use of the above designed hook the butt'chain cannot catch as there are no proj ections capableiof engaging the butt chain link.

1 The eye provides a simple means wherewith to lead'several animals in a string, and

also provides astrong definite place to attach partly withdrawn. 1

in a tug hook, the combination with abody, 7

finger formed on said body and arranged to prov de therewith a receiving recess,

adapted ,toi'jthe initial reception 01 a link,

a compou nd hook comprising an, extension formed integral with said body andterininating in'an open hook having an elongated throat and adapted as one jaw 'ofa shear, a gravity operated keeper hook hingedly ,attached to sald extension and havlng a throat coinciding with the throat of said open hook and adapted as the other jaw of the shear,

and astem formed integral with said keeper hook andadapted to separate the receiving recess from the throat when in the open po sition and to provide communication between the receiving recess and the throat to provide for entrance to the shear by said link for final and complete reception of said linkwhen in the closed position, said link being adapted to prevent movement of said shear until In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

, LUTH R M. MOORE. 

